I wonder what it was like here, so many years ago. Before the stones crumbled and the earth took back the lands until nothing but the winding stairs and a shell of a stone building were left. Before the pillars that now lay broken and shattered on the ground fell. Before the moss that glows an eerie blue lit the path in this forest of eternal darkness. It feels as if I have been here before. In a dream of a dream, when hopes were high and the world was full of laughter.

How long had she been in these forbidden wilds? She had lost track. Between the dark trunks of the forest and the canopy that only seemed to allow the faint silver glow of moonlight through its branches, she had lost count of the days. The Blackwood was constantly dark, shrouded in night so thick that even the sun did not shine here. She had tried to climb a tree once, shortly after she arrived, to get her bearings. She could never climb high enough to get through the thick branches of the trees and had eventually climbed too high for comfort. It had taken her ages to get back down.

The gaps between the trees thinned at times, though the top remained ever the same. No light from the outside world could penetrate this forsaken place. In the beginning, when she had first come to the forest, she could barely move more than a few feet at a time because the undergrowth was so thick. The good part about the forest was that nearly every bush or tree had some sort of berry or fruit from it. At least enough to keep the forest animals fed. She had watched those animals closely in the beginning; learning which fruits they ate and which ones they didn't. Mostly, she followed the example of the strange deer she had seen grazing on bushes and eating the dark red fruit that grew on them. Those grape sized, blood colored berries tasted oddly like vanilla. It had been a gamble, but they hadn't hurt her yet and she'd been eating them for what seemed like weeks now.

Everything in this forest was strange. The trees bore bark as black as tar, and most of the deep green leaves held a waxy, oily coat to them. Strange flowers grew in the darkness of the forest, closest to the ground, and each one seemed to glow and create a little torch of their own. Strange, blue lights would occasionally float by her. As they did, they made a sort of soft moaning sound that was both gentle and sad, and she never once felt they were any danger to her. Some of the animals she had seen were just as strange as the plants. Solid white deer whose coats gleamed silver in the darkness of the forest. A bird that screeched like an owl, yet looked like a hawk. Squirrels with black fur that were the size of large rabbits is Marsote. What she had thought were song birds weren't even birds at all, but some strange creature the size of a cat with tear-shaped bodies and tails that resembled long needles. They would glide from tree to tree on featherless wings that would have reminded her of a bat were it not for the triangular shape of them. Each one was a different color, and seemed to be made of some sort of lights.

The further into the forest she traveled, the less dense the trunks of the trees crowded. When at last she had finally found what looked like a deer path at first, she began to follow it. It didn't take her long to realize that the path had once been a road. Once smooth and likely well traveled, it was now barely even visible and covered in fallen leaves, twigs, and patches of grass and flowers that had grown through it. That path had widened in some places, but the trees always stayed on either side of the road, blocking the sky and continuing to keep the forest dark. The very air was strange. An almost constant mist flowed through the forest, heavier and thicker in some areas than in others. Yet it had a freshness to it that was strange to her, and she almost felt as if she could feel magic through the air itself; a sort of strange, tingling sensation that kept the hair on the back of her neck constantly raised.

At some point, she had found a stream. She'd followed it, for a time. Still the darkness kept on. And yet something was... calling to her. For some reason, she felt in her heart that she was going the right way. That stream had eventually lead her to the place she was now. Ruins, set within the midst of the forest, as if a great city had once been there. Now the earth threatened to swallow anything that remained. Still, she pressed onward. Up the winding stairs, past broken walls and crumbling monuments that no longer even looked legible. She eventually came upon a large circle; what she assumed to have once been a sort of market place, from the looks of it.

The large circle was riddled with leaves and vine covered stones that had long been toppled. In the center was a smaller, broken circle of three layers. It looked like it had once been a fountain. Now the vines covered it as if they were trying to swallow it whole. A breeze began to blow, billowing the long brown hair she boasted as her green eyes gazed into the waterless fountain. She would be able to rest here. After gathering some kindling, she pulled the flint and stone from her pack and lit the fire within the fountain to protect it from the wind.

She didn't carry much on her. A brown cloak and hood to help keep the rain off her and keep her warm at night. A simple brown shirt and breeches that ran into plain brown boots. She carried a pouch with a few supplies of healing herbs and bandages, and the food she gathered as she walked. There was also a book, which she wrote in, a bottle of ink, and a quill. The only other thing she carried with her was a dagger and a short sword. Neither of which looked as if they had seen any battle. They hadn't, since she'd picked them up at least. She had taken them only to defend herself, but sense she preferred staying away from places she might be seen, she hadn't run into any trouble since she began her trip from Marsote.

Even here, in this strange forest, none of the beasts had attacked her. There was a bear, once, that followed her for a few days. But the bear only seemed curious about her and since it never made an attempt to attack her, she had just watched it follow her. Eventually, it had left her alone. Not once had she seen anyone else other than herself in that strange place. No one of sentience, who looked human or otherwise. She probably should have counted herself lucky, really. She sat down next to the fire on the outer edge of the broken fountain and pulled a few pieces of fruit from her pouch to begin eating her meal. She ate with one hand while she watched the flames dance in the fountain.

So. This is to be my fate, is it? She thought to herself, her expression saddening slightly. Am I to wander the lands alone with nothing more than my thoughts? How long has it been since I even spoke to a person? She remembered, of course. It was the night she'd healed her adoptive father. The night her adoptive mother had tried to kill her...because she used magic.

The forest never ends... It had been a few days since Cedran had entered the forest, and he thought that eventually he would see something that wasn't the looming canopy overhead and the strange creatures that wandered Blackwood. He was no stranger to long travels, and although he didn't have outstanding survival skills, he could live off the land and get by. If it were not for the faint trail he gathered as he talked to spirits along the way, he would surely be lost in what seemed like an eternity of forest and darkness. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness however, and the faint glow from the fauna had certainly helped. Overall the experience wasn't the best, but certainly not the worst.

After a day or so he simply walked in his full demon form, not seeing any civilized people for the days he's been out here. It conserved energy, and it felt comfortable to be in his original form. Besides, the more menacing presence seems to have warded off any potential threats. The only threat was him, as he had killed a few deer and ate their meat, as well as consumed their souls for energy. It wasn't very much but, it was satisfying to say the least. His weapon of choice, and only weapon, was a large sword that hung on his back. It was about as big as him, and nothing special, just a large hunk of sharpened steel with a hilt. It was heavy, but with strength and practice he was able to wield it quite well. For now it was strapped to his back over the black cloak he used for clothing. Underneath was cheap leather armor. It only protected the vitals, and didn't weigh much or constrict him, as he didn't rely on armor too much. Besides, the sword was heavy enough.

As Cedran strolled onwards in the direction the spirits led him, a faint trail that was horribly overgrown, he began to wonder what he was being led to. It could be a small tribe out in the forest, he's seen one or two before of elves or humans. Usually not the friendliest of people. A kingdom of some sort, unknown to him? Doubtful. Maybe some lost cave that holds treasure? Too hopeful. He had no clue, but for some reason he was drawn to this place. He could be off apprehending more killers, saving the souls of others and putting them to rest. Getting rewards. Actually sleeping in an inn. Cedran shook his head, sighing.

Cedran finally found a clearing, and saw a small fire flicker in the distance. That meant he wasn't the only one here. He slowly transformed into his human form, pulling over the hood of his cloak and leaning behind a tree. A figure, about human sized, seemed to be curled up next to the fire in what figured was a fountain. Used to be a fountain. The breeze ruffled his cloak, and he held it was to his body. The person seemed to be alone, but that didn't mean that they were alone. But an ambush would be highly unlikely under these conditions. Even so, he had to be careful, so he decided whether or not he should approach the person. Maybe they know where this place is.

As Cedran slowly approached, coming into the clearing, he heard footsteps behind him. Was he being followed? He was half way between the forest and the clearing where the silhouette of another figure approached. "So, I see I'm not the only one here anymore after all."

Fredrick has been in this cursed forest for two days now. He already spent one night in here, this would be the 2nd. As he stopped in front of a stream, Fredrick grabbed his waterskin and put his side bag next to a forest a couple of feet away from him. He kneeled down in front of the stream and sinked it in the water. As the waterskin was filling up a thief curled out of the shadows and grabbed Fredrick's side bag attempting to steal it. Fredrick, who had some pretty sharp senses himself, picked up strange noises behind him and imidieatly turned around only to see someone grabbing his bag and running away with it. "HEY, COME BACK HERE!" Shouted Fredrick as he put the cork on the waterskin and slinged it on his shoulder and pulled out one of his swords and ran to the thief.

"WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!" Shouted Fredrick as he was chasing the thief through the woods with sword in hand. Then he remembered that his dagger had no handguard and it was perfectly balanced for throwing. As he was chasing the thief, Fredrick pulled out his dagger and threw it at the thief, lunging in right shoulder blade. It didn't stop the thief but it was enough to make him drop the bag as he stopped, pulled off the dagger from his shoulder and continued to run away empty handed. Fredrick stopped, grabbed the dagger from the ground and put it back in it's sheath and then took his side bag from the ground inspected to see if he had everything, put the waterskin inside and closed it as he slinged it on his side and continued to pursuit the thief.

Fredrick didn't want to let him get away with it that easy. To him this was like a hunt. As he followed in his tracks, Fredrick was distracted by a clearing from where a fire was burning. He stopped and went inside the clearing as he looked towards the fire. He saw a hyoung woman standing by the fire which apparently was made inside a fountain. Not giving up on the thief he ran to the woman. "Hey you? Have you seen a thief around here? Bastard took my bag and ran away with it but I caught him in the act and took back my stuff." Asked Fredrick with sword in hand. "But i'm not letting it slide away that easy. So did you see him or not?" He continued.

It was so quiet in that forest. There were times when she thought she was the only living thing there. So it was a little surprising, to say the least, when she heard a voice come from the edge of the clearing. She stood from her seat quickly at the first voice, unable to see clearly where he was. What was she to do? She hadn't spoken to anyone in two years. Now, in this place, she was suddenly faced with an unknown man. It was dangerous. She was a woman, and there was no telling what he might want from her. No sooner had the thought finished in her mind, another man came barreling into plain sight. On top of that, he was holding a sword in his hand.

She scrambled, putting distance between herself and the man who appeared. He was massive, compared to her. If he swung that thing at her, there was no way she'd be able to defend herself. Just from looking at him, she knew he had far more experience with a blade than she did. This was bad. Really bad. She shook her head quickly, stepping back from the man again.

"N-No.." She stammered. Green eyes darted around the clearing. On one side, she had an unknown. She still couldn't see the man who'd been the first to speak, and right now he was a further concern than the one in front of her. But he might have a bow and arrows, and that meant long ranged attacks. She couldn't run that way because it'd be running into an unknown danger. At least with the one in front of her, she knew what weapons he had for the most part.

"I...I haven't...seen anyone else." She explained further.

She swallowed tightly. Behind her was a wall. It figures she'd end up against the one of the only ones left standing in the ruins. The stairs would hinder her movements, and if she ran down them, she'd first have to get around the man with the sword and then get lucky enough not to trip as she ran. Which wasn't very likely considering all the growth and hidden stones in them. Further down the wall, there was a hole. Her eyes fell on it. She could see through it, which meant it lead somewhere else. And her small frame could fit through it even with her travel bag and weapons. That would be her best chance of escape. Slowly, she made her way toward the hole. It was entirely possible that the man may just move on and continue looking for the thief. But then the other one was still hidden.

It was entirely possible that neither man would try to harm her. She couldn't trust in that though. She'd thought her adoptive parents would never hurt her either, and then her mother tried to kill her. She stopped near the hole, her eyes still on the man with the swords and glancing to the direction the first voice had come from. People couldn't be trusted. None of them. She'd learned that the hard way.

Clop clop clop

Denrig's pony clopped lazily along the cobbled path. Seemingly oblivious to its rather ominous surroundings. Or maybe as a Dwarven mining pony it was just more accustomed to the enveloping darkness offered by forest than the light of the open sky. The way the tree branches seemed to intertwine together until they formed a single, roof like structure almost reminded Denrig of home. But the roof of his hold was made out of stone. Not wood. And while the dwarves did have lumber parties to harvest wood from the trees in the mountain ranges. It was nothing like this. Just just being surrounded on all sides. They made more noise than stone too. Stone was quiet and hard. The only noise stone made was when it echoed other noises. But trees groaned. They rustled and even creaked sometimes. It was unnerving and Denrig didn't like it.
This enclosed forest was just as foreign to his mind as a wide open meadow. Luckily he wasn't claustrophobic, something that would be quite impossible for a dwarf to be. But still this wasn't like the tunnels and enclosed hallways of a stronghold. This was different. More sinister. The the roots of the trees writhed and swarmed over the the ground in such a way that it made moving any faster than the leisurely clop he was currently moving impossible. He hated trees and he hated forests. How the other races tolerated these things, much less lived near them or gods forbid in them. He would never know.

The hardest part about living on the surface was getting used to the sky. It was just so.... so open and just there. There was nothing at all above his head and for those first few days especially he white-knuckle gripped his reins as if he would fall upwards into that nothingness. But soon fear turned into annoyance because open sky also meant unpredictable weather. One thing that Denrig realized he took for granted in the mountains was that weather 'inside' a mountain was always the same. Always the same temperature and rain was and storms were obviously not concerns in the slightest. Even cycles of day and night were more represented by the hours that there were less torches and fires lit than when there were more. But out here it took some hard learning to get accustomed to the changing weather. And he got soaked to the bone twice before he learned what darkened skies and grey clouds meant.

He pulled out the old parchment map that was given to him before he embarked on his journey. It was probably older than his father, maybe even as old as his grandfather but it represented the only records of non Dwarven lands that his stronghold had. Two hundred years of isolation left both sides with woefully inadequate understandings of the other sides landscapes. While the Dwarven hold's didn't change significantly in location in that time he was told that it might not be the same in human lands. Two hundred years was along time for humans and entire countries could rise and fall over such a period. So he was pretty much screwed and now this dated map that was supposed to lead him to a once thriving village that his hold had extensive trade relations with once upon a time, was now seemingly buried under foliage and tree roots. If it wasn't for the fact that there clearly was a road under all of this he would have thought he was moving in the wrong direction entirely this whole time.

He swore at length in his native tongue. A string of harsh flinty words that were spat out into the air from bearded lips. He kept grumbling until he heard voices up ahead. Voices that definitely were not Dwarven. He assumed they were human even though he had never met one or heard one speak. But it was the most likely assumption to make. His back straightened and he perked up. Maybe there still was a village in this depressing forest after all! It was a good place to start.

“Come on girl.”

Spurring his pony off in the direction of the voices. The beast was short and muscled from years of labour in dwarven mines. As much of a 'dwarf amongst horses' as Denrig was a dwarf amongst humans. Luckily it was also docile and was easily spurred to it's riders bidding. Only neighing once before trotting off in a new direction.

The young woman responded negatively at his questions. This made Fredrick very upset as he closed his eyes and looked the other way. After opening them he saw another guy in the distance, coming close to this place. "Well it looks like this fire is attracting all kinds I see." He said turning his view back to the girl only to see her extremely scared and backing out towards what seemed like a hole or something. Although the hole was kind of small, her slender figure could probably fit inside. Fredrick rolled his eyes at her reaction to him. "You have no reason to be afraid of me okay? I only hurt those that deserve it." He said. "Here. I'm putting my sword away if that's what scares you." He said as he slided his sword back in it's sheath.

Fredrick decided to face the facts and give up on chasing that thief. He had slim chances or catching him in this darkness, even though he was hurt and likely to be bleeding, and besides, he got his stuff back so that's what was more important. He took one more look at the guy in the distance and then back at the girl. "So what do you say if I use your fire for the night?" He said as he sat down in front of the fire. "I was going to make one for myself but it's a shame since this one is already available." He continued as he removed his cloak, placing it on the ground next to him and putting his side bag on his lap, opening it, putting the waterskin inside and pulling out something covered in paper and tied with a string.

He took one more look at the girl who was still standing next to that hole with her stuff in her hands and a terrified face. "You can stay there all night if you wish, it matters less to me! Once the morning comes i'll be on my way anyway." He said as he removed the paper, revealing a large piece of beef, preserved with salt so it dosen't rot. He then put the paper that covered it on the edge of the fountain and put the meat on it as he pulled out his dagger, started cutting a piece and then stabbing it with a stick that was near him, putting it to roast on the edge of the fountain. After all that he wrapped the meat back in paper, tied it with the string and put it back in the bag.

"So? Are you really gonna stay there all night?" He asked as he grabbed his dagger and put it back in the sheath. Then he went back to his bag and pulled out a nice green apple, showing it to her. "Apple? No? Suit yourself!" He continued as he put the apple back in the bag and grabbed the stick, checking on the meat. It didn't take long for the cold and refreshing air of the night around too fill with the smell of roasting beef. "It looks like we have a shy one over there." Said Fredrick as he kept taunting her, hoping to get a reaction, and he pointed to the strange guy in the distance. Whether or not he was dangerous it didn't matter to him. If he was enjoying his life he better not be.

There was still magic in the wilds. It was stagnant and unused but it lingered there despite the time that had passed and those who had sought to be rid of it. Bandits and refugees where the only few who wandered so far from known civilizations now. Still, very little had changed from the last time Unamia had visited the place; the trees remained large enough she nearly felt comfortable enough to fly over them without being seen. Nearly, but she was too close now and there would be no way of knowing the man’s reaction to seeing a dragon. Even if he himself where a demon. That had been a surprise; never before had she followed close enough to get so close but the shadows of the forest gave her the confidence to approach. It made things clearer; the varying gossip she had collected had hardly seemed connected to the same person. One a large but restrained man who barely spoke, other stories of an equally-large near monster who swung in blind rage with unnatural strength. Now she was half a day’s travel ahead of him; at least at his speed. She had just come to the edge of the ruins the day before, at least as far as she could tell it had been a day, and found a group of bandits. Unsettled by the forest as they already where, the young men unused to elves and magic, had moved rather quickly after a brief ‘haunting’ she had given. While it had been a bit of excitement for her, they had been at least 6 in number, and she doubted both their willingness to abandon a prime spot for camp, sheltered as it was, and her ability to fight them alone in her current form. There was also the girl, uncomfortably close to both Unamia and her charge, but she was a young, small thing who was unlikely to be a threat to either.

She looked up towards the canopy, not that it gave any signs to the time of day. Birds where still making sounds, so it wouldn’t be night just yet. A sharp snap to the left drew her attention and she waked five paces to collect a small rabbit, stunned and hanging by a rope attached to its ankle. She was careful to snap its neck quickly, before it could let out a shriek; then froze as it twitched in her hands. There was a smell of smoke, she collected her rope, prey, and staff quickly and retreated to the darker shadows. It came from the east, when she had come from. The girl or the demon? She jumped through shadows, pausing only briefly every few moment to judge her position and listen for voices. It was the demon she saw first; though he had reverted to his human illusion and after a moment it was clear why. The girl she had seen before was the source of the fire, barely a few feet away and clearly terrified when he approached; despite his disguise. With her saw a human man, that was a surprise; she hadn’t seen any sign of him previously. A slight twinge of worry at that, but she didn’t hesitate too long before showing herself clearly, coming from behind the wall the fire was glowing against; the opposite direction the others had come from.

“You’re terrifying the girl, or was that your intent?” She spoke quietly from behind the unknown man, but was unable to completely mask the amusement in her voice.
“And you may want to come out of the shadows so she can see you’re not a monster either.” A nod in the direction of the demon, then she quickly looked down into her small bag, part to retrieve the dead rabbit, part to conceal her smile. It was still warm, but no longer moving. A hopefully more sympathetic look plastered on her face, she offered it to the girl.
“Warmth and light can draw many friends in this lonely place, and I thank you, as I have need of some friends at the moment.” The dwarf was armed, and there was a sword by the girl, but that fact she wasn’t holding it, terrified as she was, spoke volumes. Still, mercenary or no, few came into the wilds if they had better options available. “If anyone where here to rob you they would have tried already, as it is weapons are sheathed and food offered. It may be best for you to sit and eat something before you faint. Then we’ll talk.”

Well they certainly were not alone. Apparently this little fire here had caused a bunch of people to run through here. There was the woman who was at the fire, who turned around to see a strong-looking man with a sword come barreling in looking for a bandit. After half-scaring her to death, trying to get away, the swordsman decided to laugh, sit down, and simply start eating like he had made the campfire himself. These humans were... Weird. He could never fully understand them, and half the time they made not the slightest bit of sense. The only thing that did make sense was the woman giving glances at him and Cedran himself. Hell, Cedran would be a bit worried if he was in that situation.

A few paces behind him he heard the patter of what seemed like a horse... Or something rather smaller... But before he could process a mental image in his head, an elf seemed to pop out of seemingly nowhere. Well, at least, in the dark it seemed like it. Although Cedran usually didn't have much trouble seeing in the dark. The elf seemed a little less intimidating, but only slightly more rational as she offered food to the woman and told the swordsman to quit scaring the poor girl. Well great, he went from being all alone to seeing a spontaneous thanksgiving dinner erupt. And apparently he was invited, as the elf addressed him like she knew him and said to come over to the campfire. If only they knew...

"Monster is somewhat subjective, elf. I would rather stay at a healthy distance. I can't promise I'm not a monster more than any of you can" Cedran said, reluctantly coming to just the edge of the light of the fire, lighting up his facial features. The bright eyes, wavy hair, light stubble of his face, all visible as his hood gently fell back.

"It's quite funny how suddenly in a few moments, you all want to make a surprise feast in the middle of gods only know where we are. Except for her, hiding and ready to escape. The most sensible between you three." Cedran chuckled, looking completely lax, calm. "I'm not very threatened by any of you, and I've gotten somewhat bored and lonely on my trip. So I'll stay, but three conditions: I'm not taking part in your quaint little dinner here, I'm not a friend, and if any of you end up in a five foot radius of me... I can't guarantee limbs will be accounted for. Clear? Clear." And with that, Cedran sat up against a broken piece of ruins, yawning as he stretched and tried to get into a comfortable position. He undid his cloak, balling it up and putting it behind his back. Rocks weren't very comfy. Cedran's muscular physique showed, covered by only some light leather armor that only covered the vitals, and normal black pants.

"Oh, and between the three of you, you should find the intelligence to not wake me if I'm asleep. Otherwise you're sure to regret the outcome."

The winds whipped by Denryr's hair. Faster, faster, and faster still. Denryr made it a priority to make his journeys as fast as possible. Less time spent in the woods, the less risk he took of being attacked by an animal or someone else. His hooves dug into the ground, leaving behind a clear trail of where he's been. But it is of no concern; the only living creatures that could outpace him were other centaurs or the mighty and mythical dragons.

Clop Clop Clop

The Dragons. Denryr knew only what a dragon look like. He was told by an elderly elvan woman once as he rested. Larger than life lions, with scales of snakes and wings of hawks was exactly how she described them. She claimed not to know anything more, though Denryr didnt believe her. The elves were always a bit secretive around him. Whether it was because they thought themselves superior, or they deemed him too young to bear such knowledge, Denryr didn't care. He'd promise to serve the elves as his parents did before him, without question.

Clop Clop Clop

A flicker of light came into view, and Denryr stopped. He pulled out his spear and shield, ever cautious. He slowly approached, and found some ruins of a village he occasionally camped in. Currently it was occupied by a large party, some of whom seemed afraid of each other. Perhaps they simply stumbled upon each other. Denryr discounted that idea, considering the size of the party and the convenience of the location where they gathered. To him, they were clearly a party travelling together. He noticed a number of humans, what might be an elf, and in the back, a very short person riding a horse. The last person seemed to be trying to stay out of sight. Denryr did the same.

Thud Thud Thud

Denryr's heart was almost pounding. He'd never seen so many humans congregated, not in Blackwood. His mind raced through possibilities, his paranoia suddenly re-asserting itself. A scouting party perhaps? Were the humans going to invade Blackwood, trying to wipe out the last of the elves, druids and centaurs? No, Denryr told himself. Some seemed afraid of each other, indicating a lack of familiarity. Denryr tried to calm himself. Perhaps they were simply lost. A small travelling group of humans, lost in the Blackwood. That seemed the most likely explanation, given the circumstances. But humans were responsible for so much death and suffering. Denryr bitterly recalled the stories of the Purge his parents had told him, of how the humans nearly wiped out so many peaceful races. Denryr thought of slaughtering the lot of them, but decided against it, due to the numbers, and the fact there was an elf.

Clop, Clop, Clop

Denryr stepped out of the shadows, spear and shield at the ready just in case. "Welcome to Blackwood, Humans." Denryr said, saying humans as if it were derogatory. "I hope you enjoy your stay, as there's little chance of leaving." Denryr turned to and stepped towards the elf, bowing his head. "And what might you be doing among this band of barbarians, if i may ask?" It was an honest question - The centaur never knew an elf to commune with humans; they all held a great grudge against them for the purges.

What's....happening?

The thought entered her mind as she stared at the people around her. First, the man with the sword began to taunt her and take over her camp. Better that than being gutted, she supposed. She relaxed a little when he put the sword away, looking down at her feet. This was all too strange. Just a few moments ago, she'd been alone. Now, there were others. On top of that, they all seemed to come out of nowhere. It was just far too strange. Something else was going on here. She could....feel it.

When the woman came out from behind the wall closest to her, she nearly screamed. But then her eyes actually took in the woman, and the green orbs widened. She was beautiful. The way the fire glanced over the woman's features caused her to momentarily forget the hidden man and completely miss the offered rabbit. When the man spoke though, she turned her head to look at him, briefly anyway. She looked back at the woman and noticed the rabbit in her hands.

A quiet grunt of shock escaped her as she stared at the rabbit. She hesitated for a moment, before slowly taking the poor thing from the woman and holding it in her hands. The body was still warm, but there was no heart beat. It was dead. She couldn't stop the sadness that crossed her expression as she stared at the lifeless rabbit. No more than she could stop the tears that fell down her cheeks as she watched it. She knelt where she was, gently laying the rabbit down on the ground in front of her as if it were a cherished pet she'd had all her life.

Without saying a word, she reached into her bag slowly. From it, she pulled the one thing she carried that she didn't need to survive. A small flute. She took a breath, her fingers lining themselves with the holes on the flute. The song that came from that flute was slow, soft, but filled with sadness. She didn't know why she was the way she was, but death, even the death of a rabbit, at the hands of people, made her weep. Perhaps she had just seen too much of it, somehow.



It was in the midst of the song that the centaur appeared, though she didn't notice at first. She was so focused on the music for the poor beast that she didn't even notice the man. When at last she finished playing her song, she put her flute away and finally looked up. And that was when she noticed him. The man that had half his lower body as a horse. Her eyes widened again. Clutching the dead rabbit in her arms like she was trying to protect it, she inched closer to the only other woman there. She seemed the best one to be around at the moment, in case...whatever he was decided to attack. It was almost like a child hiding behind her mother. Almost.

It was impossible to keep a glint out of her eyes at the demon’s words, though she managed to resist the tugging urge to grin. Oh Unamia liked him. For now, at least, when he was ignorant and wouldn’t demand anything of her. So she just nodded stiffly before turning to the other two “I carry no weapon but a knife, it is not meant to hurt you,” The knife in question was now in her hand, hilt balanced on her open palm. But the girl wasn’t listening to her. The rabbit, the only protein Unaima knew for fact the girl had the chance to eat in a least three days, was being coddled. Mourned. She was unsure whether to laugh of be angry with the girl when she pulled out a flute. But the music caught her by surprise. There was magic in it, not very powerful, but it was there, potency brought out by the forest itself, but at the core was this girl’s own magic. Running then, from those who would fear it. The hand holding her knife quickly closed into a fist at the sound of hoof beats. Two directions, opposite, one set a great deal louder then the other. The flute continued it's mourning song for what was meant to be their dinner. She looked to where the demon lay, would he notice as well? Her grip loosened slightly when the centaur came into view, and the eerie music ended. Of course the girl chose to crouch behind her. Fierce barbarian indeed. Should have gotten to him before he ever entered the damn woods. She wouldn’t move to shield the girl or give any signs of comfort, but she didn’t push her away either. Instead attention went to the newcomer, or appeared to; half of her senses where sorting out the second rider who would have fallen silent had her hearing not picked up the thundering heartbeats of both rider and mount.
“I take help where I can find it,” She spoke slowly, doing her best to recall all she knew about centaurs. Most of course was from before the purge. She had nothing to offer that he desired besides respect. What use was coin in place like this? ”Do you protect these lands? You would know the woods well.” The knife remained in her fist, pressed against her tigh. Whatever tensions she had tried to ease before had sprung back with vengeance. The demon had made himself comfortable on the ground.
“I would not choose to sleep here, I came across a bandit camp less that two leagues away.” It was unlikely the bandits would be back, but there was fire and an increasing amount of voices among them, prime targets. Before he went in the forest she scolded herself again, and looked sideways to the girl who seemed to be getting smaller and younger with each new arrival.
”That was meant as a gift for eating you know,” it was meant to come out lightly, but exasperation managed to edge its way into her tone. "Will you let me clean it for you?” She offered her left hand to take the rabbit that was still being held tightly, dead as it was, as though it was a prized possession to a girl who may or may not be surrounded by killers and thieves.

Fredrick was checking the meat when all of a sudden an elf female appeared from behind the wall that the girl was cowering next to, basically telling him to leave the girl alone and also telling the other guy, with a demanding tone to come out of the shadows. "I'm not scaring anyone, it's not my fault she's jumpy." He said without looking at her. It was only when she sat at the fire that Fredrick raised his eyes, looking at her. She was beautiful, that was undeniable, but then again, elven females had that advantage, of being very beautiful. Then he watched her as she pulled out a dead rabbit from her bag and offered it to the girl.

The other guy decided to follow the elf's advice as he came towards the fire but the words he spoke from his mouth didn't fell good on Fredrick's ears. He was so arrogant and full of himself, Fredrick was surprised he could still walk. If there was one thing he hated about other people it was exactly these two traits. Fredrick gave him unpleasant looks as he watched him lean down on the ground against some ruins and closing his eyes to sleep. He was definetly going to have to keep an eye on this guy. At least until the morning comes, because after that he was determined to move on and get out of this forest. Then he turned back to the girl watching her as she was wheeping and cuddling the dead rabbit as if she was mourning him. She was definetly the weird type, and with each action she was getting more weirder.

The elf was clearly trying her best to make the girl feel better, which was understandable since she was scared out of her mind, but she had no reason to be. Right now at that very moment the only thing Fredrick wanted was for the night to pass faster so he could leave already. These ruins were slowly becoming way too crowded for his liking. He checked the meat once more and after seeing that it was ready, he grabbed the stick and pulled it out of the fire as he sinked his teeth into it and took a bite. As he was chewing on his food the girl pulled out a flute from her bag and started singing a song with it.

It was magical, mesmerising, so beautiful. A smile developed on Fredrick's face as he remembered the good old days with his parents, then the sadness of his mother's death, how he and his father abandoned civilization and moved in a cabin in the mountains, the good moments with his father teaching him how to hunt, how to survive in the wilderness and how to use all kinds of weapons then culminating with the anger and frustration he felt as his father died in his arms after that accursed hunt. The girl's song made all of these images appear once again in his mind as a tear developed on his right eye as he quickly wiped it off when the others weren't paying attention.

Then a centaur appeared as she was singing. His father told him about these beasts. He also told him that if he was ever to encounter one, to be very careful and always on his guard as they are not trustworthy. After the girl stopped singing the centaur spoke, but he only did so with the elven woman, totally ignoring everyone else and to make matters worse, calling them barbarians. That phrase really made Fredrick's blood boil as he was doing his best to ignore the beast and keep his head cool. The elven woman however was clearly becoming annoyed by the way the girl was treating that rabbit, which was supposed to be eaten not mourned oven. "Don't bother, she clearly dosen't eat meat." He said to the elf as he finished eating and threw the stick away.

"I tried giving her an apple before you arrived but she didn't even move." Said Fredrick as he reached out for his bag and again pulled the apple out as he rised up on his feet and went to the girl as he gently rested the apple on her lap. "Here, eat it! It's big, nice and juicy, totally meat free. And stop acting silly, nobody's trying to hurt you." Said Fredrick patting her on her left cheek and going back to his spot as he sat down but giving the centaur mean looks.

The forest was dark, almost to the point where it felt like there was supernatural forces at work that were actively keeping any light from the confines of the large network of tall and thick forest tree that made up the Blackwood. The trees surrounding the very mis-matached group of humans, elves and misc races alike were now creaking slightly, one by one. This was not because of the wind or any animal, this was Halen Claymore, jumping from tree to tree darting around the highest branches at a speed that would seem almost implausible, especially in the dark. But 50 years of stalking forest prey, had allowed the hunter to travel around tree tops as if it were his own home garden. Halen was on a very low key hunting trip, he wanted to stock up on some meat, so he thought he might hunt a boar or something and see if it would fetch a price at any surrounding settlements, but he was now deep in the heart of the Blackwood, one of the few places where his knowledge of the inhabiting animals was severely limited.

But none of that mattered now, after at least 20 minuites of treehopping through endless yards of thick forest he began to see a light, he also heard voices,it wasn't the exit, but a campfire, that of someone who was making a very quick stop as they journeyed though this maze of trees. The area surrounding the light had less trees then everywhere else, as if it was once home to a community of people. It had a few remains of huts and houses so it was probably a small village. As Halen silently leaped closer, managing to perch on a branch that was overlooking this ex-village space, he then saw people to match the voices, they weren't quite arguing but the tone was far from friendly. His half elven vision was just good enough to make out who the figures on the ground were.

A Human man, heavily armed, seemed to be ranting about eating meat and or fruit and was closest to the campfire. There was also a centaur, which shocked Halen, as he heard that they only really ever traveled in armies. And there were two women, one human, one an elf, but her energy felt strange, she could have been mixed but she definitely wasn't a standard elf. There was also a Demonfolk, which Halen hadn't seen since he left his own province, it was somewhat comforting to see these races again. But Halen was still cautious, they didn't seem like they were hostile, but the Hunter did not survive to 79 without being careful. He silently drew his long bow and began to speak.

It's very strange, you all look like capable fighter and warriors, but you talk and move as if you want to be ambushed. I'm not a category 3 predator such as a black lion or a wood-griffon, but if I was, I'd be enjoying a very easy lunch about now.

Halen strung an arrow to his longbow and his voice became more assertive as he addressed the entire group. He was still blanketed in shadows at least 20 feet above them all.

Now, apart from desperately trying to be eaten, what are the bunch of you doing here? I would have wagered bandits, but even bandits aren't this easy to sneak up on.

The Forest was indeed quite Dark but for a small boy around the age of 12 said Darkness held no fear. The boy, named Mikael seemed undaunted by the black forest floor and if one looked closely they would see a small light seeing to shine from him in such a Dark place. The boy walked slowly but deliberately through the Forest as if he was searching for something. In fact he was searching for his 'ward', a girl named Kyanna who he had been sent to protect from the Good Father Arvas. As he continued walking he started talking to his friend and God Arvas, praying to him and asking him to guide his steps to better serve his purpose. He murmured his thanks and smiled softly as he stopped to rest for a moment and closed his eyes only to open them three minutes later as a young teenage boy instead of the 12 year old he had been before. His clothes had changed themselves as well and he now stood stretching wearing a brown boiled leather vest over a pure white shirt, his pants a lighter brown color with boiled leather legguards. On his side was a sharp Rapier and on the other side a equally sharp and somewhat long knife. He was slender but moved with a grace that trained fighters would notice spoke of agility and balance, a duelist for sure. Now in a more appropriate form for traveling he was about to continue on his way when his head snapped up and he strained his ears to listen...

Coming from the East was a sound that he instantly recognizes as a Heavenly Flute and Mikael smiled to himself, finally. He began running towards the sound, a light shining from his form as he ran to light the path. It didn't take long until he was approaching a clearing with ruins covering the entire area. A wave of sadness hit him as he wondered if this was once a village or farm, he shook his head to clear it and the music stopped.

Hesitantly Mikael walked into the light and took in the situation, a Human male wearing two large swords gave him pause for a moment and he wondered if he was perhaps compensating for something, but then again Large killing weapons were becoming more and more popular in this age. A Demon sat on the ground and Mikael almost hissed and gave away his position. He hated Demon's having had many battles against his kind but he was entirely thrown off when he recognized the Guardian of Death Unamia, and everything clicked. The Demon was the son of Ral, of course. In her mortal form Mikael would almost call her beautiful though he knew of her power and deadliness. Next was a Centaur, a race that Mikael had much respect for as guardians and custodians of the Dark Forest and Mikael made a note to give a prayer for this particular Centaur as he insulted the other races. Finally was a staught and stalwart Dwarf with his Pony and Mikael had to grin, it was the Dwarves who had once offered to build him armor for his Dragon Form which Mikael of course accepted though the Purge started soon after. He frowned again, but when his eyes came to the last person he gasped, there she was, Kynna putting her flute back into her bag and gripping a dead rabbit to herself. So that was the reason why she had played her song of grief.

He was about to walk forward when yet another made an appearance, a Half-Elf ranger from the looks of him with a drawn bow admonishing the group for being so careless. Mikael had to agree it was slightly careless but he was sure that Unamia had even seen him approach with her powerful senses. He slowly walked straight out of the clearing and towards the large group, ignoring the man holding a bow and sending a quick prayer to Arvas that the Halfling didn't in fact loose an arrow at them.

He made his way straight towards Kynna and smiled at her when they made eye contact and Mikael or Dragneel as he was called felt the spark that Arvas had placed upon him ignite and send a connection to Kynna. He then turned and nodded his head respectfully to Unamia, unsure of her mortal name as of yet.

Had one little fire really attracted so many? She'd been in Blackwood for what seemed like weeks now, and hadn't seen a single person since entering it. Now all of a sudden, she was surrounded by people. She could finally see the approaching man on a small pony and her head tilted slightly. What was really a dwarf, she thought no more than a very short man with a beard. Three men, an elf woman, a....half-horse man, and her. When the elf woman held out her hand for the rabbit, she blinked, looking down at the creature in her arms before blushing and carefully handing the poor thing back to the woman.

"I...I'm sorry. Thank you, for the offer, but maybe the others would like it?" She gave an apologetic smile. She didn't want to seem ungrateful to the woman.

And then the man who first took over her camp spoke, and she let out that quiet, gasped grunt of surprise again when he pegged her for not eating meat. He dropped an apple in her lap. When had she sat down? She blinked up at him, only to be patted on the cheek. He...reminded her of her father. She paused for a moment before standing and moving back toward the fire near the man. She reached into her bag, taking out some of the red berries and putting them in his lap in return.

"They taste like vanilla." She gave him a small smile before biting into the apple he had given her. Well, if she was going to be surrounded by people, she might as well eat something. And she hadn't had apples in ages. She couldn't help but wonder where the apples had come from. She hadn't seen any in the forest all this time. Her eyes drifted to the man with the scar on his face resting under the tree for a moment. He didn't seem worried about anyone here at all.

And then a voice came from the shadows. Again. Her brow twitched in irritation. All these people drawn randomly by one little fire. This was getting ridiculous. She set the apple down and stood up. Frustrated and feeling more than slightly invaded, she turned toward the voice with her hands on her hips. She frowned, then spoke loudly enough to make sure whoever it was would hear her.

"It's not like you own this forest, you know!" She glared into the darkness. Unlike the others, her human eyes couldn't see that well past the fire and the lighter shadows. "You wanna know why we're here? Well, I'm just passing through. So piss off! This is my camp and you've no right to be making demands of anyone here. I don't know who you are, and personally, I don't care. The whole lot of you have basically invaded my camp. I'm more than welcome to share, but stop sulking in the shadows and get down here or go away."

She sighed in frustration once she was done. "Arrogant son of a bitch.." she grumbled to herself. So. The girl had some backbone after all. Movement caught her eye, and yet another person came into light. She was just about to tell that one to go away, when she suddenly froze. Her eyes widened, her skin growing pale even in the firelight. The young man walked directly toward her, and she couldn't stop staring. Memories flashed through her mind of a young boy, one she'd played with almost daily before she'd left home. He'd been her best friend, and the day her adoptive mother had tried to kill her, he'd stayed behind to keep her safe while she ran. She hadn't seen him since that day, and she'd thought she never would. But there he was, right in front of her, that kind smile ever present on his features.

"Mikael...?" She whispered in shock.

Denryr was confused at the elf's answer. Did she provide help, or give it to those that need it? She semmed to be giving it, as it appeared that she gave a human girl a dead rabbit. The Centaur then responded to the elf. "In a way, i suppose i do." Denryr observed that she still held a knife. Fortune favors the cautious, Denryr remembered. It was his motto. The elf then made Denryr aware of a bandit camp nearby, before returning to the issue of the girl and the rabbit. A human male then offered the girl an apple, saying she likely didnt eat meat.

Denryr rolled his eyes in annoyance at this. The girl was denying her body what she needed to survive. One might survive on nothing but plants, but it is a hard life. Not only that, she was denying mother nature herself. Insects ate plants. Frogs and other things ate insects. And so the chain went on, only to be broken by the stubborn few who refuse to eat animals, justifying it by saying "all life is equal", or "Animals have feelings too". Both points are rendered null by seeing a fox eat a rabbit. It is what nature intended, and these people refuse to follow the example set by nature. "You would do yourself good, human, if you ate the rabbit."

Another man in the trees appeared, claiming they were easily ambushed in their current state. Before Denryr could respond, the shy human girl exploded. This surprised the centaur. He made a mental note to be careful around her. It was then yet another appeared, who had locked eyes with the aforementioned girl. Denryr heard her say "Mikael", and assumed that the man's name. Denryr turned his attention elsewhere. He turned his gaze to the trees. "Very well, if we are so vulnerable, why dont you attack us instead of questioning us? If you want information, you'll have to come down from your tree and ask me again."

Oh for fuck's sake...

It was like there was some sort of cluster fuck palooza that he wasn't invited to. There was already a bunch of people when he first got there. Four including himself. That was reasonable. He showed his dominance, made sure nobody messed with him, and he went to go take a nap. He would look around in the morning and search for whatever the spirits had been leading him to. It was a great plan.

But apparently the asshole patrol came out in full force in what was supposed to be the deserted woods. He knew before they came that they were coming, the spirits around would not stop bugging him about the approaching individuals. The short man on a pony was coming, however slow that the short legs would take him. He didn't seem much of a threat, maybe a lost midget dwarf type person. Strange, but alright.

Now this asshole centaur came galloping his happy ass over, decided to be an absolute dick and just treat everybody like they were beneath him besides the attractive looking elf. Why did everybody like her so much? Even he didn't feel as hostile as usual towards her, yet, although their strong-willed personalities were sure to collide. But this half horse half man son of a bitch interrupts his nap, mistakes him for a barbaric human, and completely ignores him?

Oh but no, oh no it wasn't over. Some voice was calling from the shadows, over in a tree not far away. From what the spirits told him he was over there, holding a bow, some kind of half-elf half breed abomination that decided to make fun of their lack of stealth. He seemed to be the only one needing to hide, as Cedran could easily break him in half. The fact of the matter is, Cedran was scared of nobody and did not need to hide.

And finally, some teenager simply walked up to their group, strolling along, coming up to the younger human girl like he was hey boyfriend. Jesus Christ he couldn't take this. Too many people. Too many people talking. Too many weapons pointed at him. There was so much ignorance and not enough IQ points around him. That was it.

Cedran slowly rose, his skin melting into a much darker shade, a tint of red as jet black wings grew on his back and flexed outwards before folding on his back. His black hair grew longer, tougher, also tinted with slight red. His eyes glowed a fire red. It seemed like he grew slightly as well, a much more scary and intimidating figure, this was the true look of a demon. He stood directly in front of the centaur, looking down upon him in disgust as his low booming voice echoed.

"How dare you look down upon me and call me some worthless human scum, halfbreed. It's quite funny how you try to impose with your shield and spear, acting like you own this forest. Telling me I have little chance to leave. You should address me first you worthless creature, and if you beg for your life you have a little chance of keeping it. If you hate humans so much, I should do you a favor and rip your human half off of your patethetic horse half. Or maybe you'll run, take your little aquestrian hide away from death. But first, get your toy out of my face."

Cedric pushed the centaurs spear tip away from him, roughly brushing past the centaur as if he was a lowly servant to a king. He directed his focus to where the voice in the woods was coming from, looking up towards it.

"And you, you seem to be a pathetic half breed as well. Who gives a fuck why any of us are here, it certainly is not your business. And you would be a fool to rob anybody here. The reason I choose not to hide is because I do not fear, I do not need to hide from anything. Like a man I take any challenge and laugh in it's face. But you are the one who needs to hide in the shadows, for you are frail and I could crush you under my boot. Go ahead, shoot me with a bow if you like. It will be the last thing you do. The only people who hide in trees any point there bows at people out of fear are cowardice half-breed bitches like yourself. A spineless bitch."

Cedran made his way away from the camp, venturing deeper into the ruins, looking for a place as far away from this place as he could. He could not deal with such stupidity. He did not want to senselessly murder people, and he would much rather take a nap somewhere. Going from missing the sight of people to not standing the sight of them. Maybe he should carry this out alone, people always seemed to drag him down.

"I will not associate myself with such lack of worth. The majority of you are imbeciles. You all can have your nice gathering, kill each other for all I care. I attend on finding peace and quiet before I decide to start rolling heads."

And with that, Cedran made his way further into the ruins, glad to be gone of that whole mess. A few of them, especially the more reasonable ones, he could handle. But he needed to get out of there before he started trying to murder people. Truth be told, he tried not to kill people for little reason. He wasn't that angry. Yet. Senseless slaughter only made him the monster that people claimed demons to be. He was a monster. And trying to change that was proving to be more difficult each passing day.

The girl reacted nicely to Fredrick's offering as she gave the dead rabbit back to the elf woman, much to the centaur's dissaproval who insisted that she should eat it. She returned the favour and gave Fredrick a handfull of red berries, saying that they taste like vanilla then going back to her place and munching on the apple. Fredrick looked at the berries as he took one and put it in his mouth. "Thank you. They're good." He said as he took one more and put the others in his bag as he took out the waterskin and took a sip of water and putting it back in the bag. "I agree with the centaur for once. You really should eat that rabbit. Meat is important to our diet. Why do you think people eat all kinds of things? Because one type of food can't offer us everything. And besides that...I don't know about you but I would get bored eating the same things over and over again." He said as he chuckled.

But just as the tense athmosphere seemed to be calming down a voice from the shadows heats things up again. Fredrick grabbed one of his swords and pulled a quarter of it out as the voice kept talking telling them how vulnerable they are and how easy prey they would be. Normally in this situation Fredrick wanted to call him out and make him prove his words but the girl literally exploded, throwing harsh words at the mysterious man. Amazed, Fredrick put the weapon away and sat back down. "Congratulations. It seems you have guts after all." He said applauding her. But there was much truth in her words. None of them didn't belong here. They were all invaders.

And to make matters worse yet another person, a teenager, by his looks even younger then the girl pops up out of nowhere and talks to the girl who was clearly familiar with him. Then the arrogant guy rises up from the ground, clearly bothered by all the events taking place, transforms into a demon and starts a huge rant as he directed very harsh words towards the centaur and the mysterious person from the shadows. Fredrick was shocked. He knew about the existence of demons but never actually saw one. Or perhaps he did, but they were disguised like this one was. After the demon finished his rant he walked away.

For Fredrick this was the drop that filled the glass. Although the centaur and the mysterious guy from the shadows totally deserved every word that the demon directed towards them, he just couldn't take it anymore. "You know what girl? You're right. We're nothing but invaders and we don't belong here. Which is why i'm gonna do the right thing and walk away, like our demon friend did." He said as he rised up, took his side bag, putting it on his shoulder, checking his weapons and taking his cloak from the ground as he shook it hard once and equipped it while he was walking away, covering his head with the hood. "And I advise the rest of you to do the same." He said to the rest of the arrivals without looking at them as he took a first step back inside the forest, followed by the other, dissapearing in it's darkness.

Kynna rolled her eyes at the centaur when he spoke to her. "Stuff it, pony-boy." She retorted, already still irritated at everything going on. "If I wanted meat, I'd eat it." Then the other man stood, and her eyes went wide in shock as what she thought was human turned into a literal demon. Her hand gripped Mikael's tightly, ready to turn and run, but a moment later, he was gone. She barely heard the man with the apple when he spoke to her, and by the time she realized he had, he was already walking into the darkness.

"ENOUGH!"

The female voice suddenly boomed loud enough that one could swear the forest itself spoke. Without warning, the dark forest suddenly went white. When those in the forest could see again, they stood in a circle, side by side each other. In the middle of the circle, a slender woman in a flowing white gown with golden hair stood hovering over the white expanse of ground. Nothing else seemed to be in sight, the forest, the ground, the sky, nothing but white expanse as far as the eye could see.

"Fools." The woman frowned. "Bickering among yourselves. Did you really think that one small flame drew you all to the same place? Did you really think that your meeting each other was just happenstance?"

Kynna stood close to Mikael, peeking out from around his shoulder at the sudden change. She bit her lip a moment, watching the woman before finally speaking. "E-Excuse me, but...Who are you? If...If it wasn't just chance then...why are we here?"

The woman looked at her for a moment before speaking a bit less heatedly. "Kynna." She spoke. And then she began to turn in a circle, looking at each person as she called out their name. "Mikael. Cedran. Denryr. Amelise. Denrig. Fredrick. Halen. I am Lyphera, Messenger of the Old Gods. It is they who have chosen all of you. Through the hands of fate, you have been guided to one another. For far too long, the people of these lands have suffered. Yet even now, a shadow grows that would threaten the lives of every race and person upon the earth."

The area they stood flashed again, and they stood in the midst of a village as it burned. The screams of the dying and those trying to escape could be heard as easily as if they were really there as monsterous beasts flooded through the village. No man, woman, or child was spared. Elves, humans, centaurs, dwarves, demons, fairies... all mercilessly slaughtered by the giants.

"This is what will come, if it is not stopped." Lyphera spoke. The image lingered a moment before they were once again in the white expanse.

"Denrig, the Mountain Lord. Your axes and knowledge of the mountains will prove vital in this quest. Halen, Archer of the Ice. Your knowledge of the lands beyond the sea will be needed. That land, too, will be ravaged, and all that you hold dear to you will fall. Fredrick, the Armsmaster. You have lived alone far too long with no real purpose. Now, your task is to see this mission complete. Denryr, the Horselord. Valliant and strong, your skills will be needed to gather what is required. Mikael. Amelise. Your abilities will help to ensure the wrath of the Gods is brought upon this evil."

She turned then, looking to Kynna and Cedran. "The son of Darkness and the Daughter of Light. The Sword that will protect the Key. Trust in your instincts, Kynna. They will not lead you astray. Find the Crystal of Amenel, beyond the Blackwood in the mountain of Valron. You will know what to do when you have it. If you should fail in this quest, if you refuse the will of the Gods, all life on this earth will perish."

The forest returned, and the eight of them all stood in the clearing by the fire again. Kynna glanced around as she slowly sat back on the fountain again. Those things were going to destroy everyone. And she was some sort of...key? She was visibly shaken, her eyes raising to look around at the people who were all suddenly with her. They needed a crystal from a place she'd never heard of, and somehow, they were meant to stop this...evil. She didn't understand it, but she couldn't just ignore what was happening. Not with a risk like that.

Halen had made himself very clear, but the group he was addressing were not a malicious band of cut throats, and the seemed to chatty to be bandits, hell they didn't even seem to be friends with one another. But they didn't take to the Half-Elf's tone kindly, and
3 of them gave Halen Claymore a piece of their mind.

Hahahaha, no wonder you all aren't afraid of the monsters in this forest, you already have the most terrifying creature known to the world among you; A teenage human female. I suppose I better reveal myself, I can safely say that most mercernaries dont have a the vocabulary of this young lady or your demon friend here.

Halen jumped down from the very tall tree and landed perfectly on the floor, as if he was only taking a single step down the stairs. The only sound that came from the landing was the snapping of a few dry twigs which littered the floor. Halen stood proudly among the group and slowly tucked away his bow, while still keeping an icy stare on the furious demon who had just finished ranting. Halen also turned to face the centaur who was imposing in his stature but not particularly threatening by his tone of voice. Halen simply shrugged his shoulders and dusted his hands off.

Just to be clear, if I wanted to attack you, you wouldn't have heard me speak, and it wouldnt be an open attack either, It would be slowly, one by one, by....various means. The bow was for defending myself, when youve been hunting as long as I have, you'll realise there is a difference.....

Halen's proud statement was cut off suddenly by a supernatural booming sounds that was followed by an immense light, the goddess Lyphera began to speak and everyone was listening..............
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After being returned to the campfire Halen's usually calm and focused eyes were wild with shock, and his heart felt as if it were violently trying to beat out of his ribcage, his face was covered in a film of cold sweat, and his hands were visibly shaking. He turned slowly towards the group, before focusing specifically on Kynna who was described to be the 'daughter of light'.

This is all real isn't it? What are we supposed to do now?